Somerset Council is proud to announce that the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service has been awarded SafeLives’ Leading Lights Accreditation for another 3 years, following a unanimous decision by the accreditation panel.
Leading Lights is SafeLives’ gold standard for community based domestic abuse services and is recognised across the UK as a mark of quality and best practice. The rigorous accreditation process assesses services against evidence based standards designed to ensure that victims and survivors receive safe, effective and high quality support.
Achieving accreditation is a significant accomplishment reflecting the dedication, skill and resilience of the team. The programme sets out clear standards for service provision, multi agency working, governance and staff development, offering reassurance to partners and commissioners that the service is operating to the highest level.
Cllr Federica Smith Roberts, Executive Member for Communities, Housing Revenue Account, Culture and Equalities and Diversity, said:
This accreditation is a testament to the hard work and unwavering commitment of everyone involved in Somerset’s Domestic Abuse Service.
Achieving such a rigorous standard is no small feat. It shows just how dedicated the team is to keeping people safe and providing high quality, compassionate support to those who need it most.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement and of the service’s continued drive for excellence.
Jayne Hardy, Assistant Director of The YOU Trust, said:
We are absolutely delighted that the service we provide in Somerset has achieved Leading Lights re-accreditation for a further 3 years.
This is a huge achievement and demonstrates the dedication and commitment of the whole team to provide a high-quality service to support victims and survivors live a life free from domestic abuse.
The service will receive its full report and certificate soon, marking a significant achievement and reaffirming its commitment to excellence in supporting victims and survivors.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, help is available every day:
- Call the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service on 0800 69 49 999 (open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays)
- Visit somersetdomesticabuse.org.uk. Includes live chat (open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday)
- Email domesticabuseservice@somerset.gov.uk.
In an emergency, call 999. If you cannot speak, press 55 when prompted to be connected to the police.
For those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, you can register with emergencySMS.net or use 999 BSL for British Sign Language support.
